• A fully funded Public Disclosure Commission with sufficient enforcement power

• Protecting the right of all citizens to vote, encouraging all citizens to vote

Fiscal Responsibility

• A balanced, fair, flexible and economically sound tax system
• Campaign finance reform
• Analysis of the fiscal effects of recent voter approved initiatives

Health Care

• Revisit individual insurance market legislation
• Mental health parity
• Adequate funding for the Basic Health Plan
• Prescription drug coverage

Children

• Full funding and access to programs which protect, nurture, and educate infants, children and teenagers
• Programs promoting safe and healthy development of children, including enhancing and extending the First Steps program.
• Reduction of toxic exposures of children
• Developmentally appropriate child care, with availability of flexible hours care, and infant care

Education

• Implementation of K-12 standards based on the 1993 Education Reform Act

• Safety net protecting the disabled, the frail elderly, children and legal immigrants

• Appropriate education and training programs essential for family-wage employment for all

Anti Discrimination

• Safety and respect for the dignity of each individual and freedom from all forms of discrimination
• Effective Affirmative Action
• Rights for individuals regardless of marital status or sexual orientation

Growth and Sustainability

• A balanced transportation system including appropriate infrastructure
• Implementation of Growth Management Act (GMA), State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) and Shorelines Management Act (SMA)
• Protection of water resources, including ground water, fisheries, aquatic wildlife and its habitat and marine water quality
• Sustainable communities

Energy

• Action to encourage reliance on renewable resources
• Assistance for low income individuals
• Programs to encourage energy conservation

Reproductive Rights

• Action to protect the constitutional right to privacy of the individual to make reproductive choices

February 9 - Executive Committee Meeting

March 9 - Board Meeting

March 24 - Voter Service Workshop in Ellensburg

June 22-24 - LWVWA Convention in Richland

June 9-11 – LWVUS Council in Washington, DC

June 2002 LWVUS Convention in Miami

Board Splinters for November 2000 and January 2001

• LWVWA join in an amicus brief with the Department of Ecology in a suit against Asarco concerning its Everett plant.
• LWVWA join with the Indoor Air Coalition of Washington, Physicians for Social Responsibility of Washington and the Washington Toxics Coalition in signing letters to publications requesting more public education on healthy homes
• A state Development Chair is needed
• A letter is being sent to the LWVUS and to Newsweek magazine correcting the published figures of the Washington State voter turnout.

As most of you know, when we found out we had to move from our downtown office, we searched long and hard for a new home. We were beginning to panic when the first of October we received a phone call out of the blue from Kristin Ferguson of Ferguson Property Management. She also happens to be the daughter of Pullman League member Helen Koehler. Kristin said those magic words, "I think I can help." And help she did. Within days we had met with Kristin, viewed the space and signed a lease. She listened carefully to our needs and worked with us to accomplish what needed to be done. As we have since found out, we were very fortunate indeed as commercial space in our building (The Wilsonian) rarely becomes available.

Once we knew we had a new home the real work began. If not for the careful planning and hard work of Natalie Toevs and her husband Fritz, we would not have been nearly as ready and able to make the move. Natalie is the organization behind the entire move. She spent countless hours measuring every inch of the space, creating a floor plan on her computer, and planning where all of our furniture would go. Every nook and cranny has been utilized to it's full potential. She also worked closely with the management for all details of moving, renovation, parking and storage.

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• Date for LWVWA Convention: should be June 22-24, 2001
• Ad for Georgie KunkelÕs book – her correct address is P.O. 47293, Seattle, WA 98146
• Page 14, Peg WilliamsÕ article, first column, 6-7 lines from the bottom should read: "Éthan whites to be clustered in low paying, low status, non-professional jobs.É"

The House of Representatives has chosen a Select Committee to deal with the need to change our primary election system in Washington. Reps. Val Ogden and Dave Schmidt co-chair the committee. It meets Wednesdays at 10am and Fridays at 1:30 p.m. The committee is looking at different kinds of primaries around the country and background on the California case that created this situation. Also they reviewed the testimony from various meetings held around the state last year to find out what the voters think about the new ruling. They have discussed major and minor party needs and the Grange initiative proposal. Other interested groups will have an opportunity to speak. These meetings are televised on TVW. The Senate has begun similar meetings by the State and Local Government Committee, Senator Julia Patterson, Chair.

Updates will be included in the Legislative Newsletter.

For question, contract: Cherie Davidson 360-866-4420 dadcal@home.com

The League of Women Voters, despite the temptation to follow our political instincts based on our study of the needs of our communities, country and world, has a still more important role to play. Our ongoing efforts to improve the election process, campaign finances and ethics, has a very significant role in examining the issues in as honest, balanced and public way as possible.

Looking at the bewilderment of ads, many from even reputable agencies for worthy causes, following the spinmasters in sleazy untruths that have left many voters seriously confused, we are almost uniquely qualified to use this strength.

There is a serious disconnect in public support of, for instance, supporting lower class sized COLA for teachers while simultaneously voted to cap or cut taxes.

LWV has a good reputation for fairness. It is essential that we use that great strength to heal America. We can and should lend our strength as individuals to important causes and groups, but as one of a few trustworthy, good-government organizations, we have major responsibility to help the public understand ideas and issues in ways not at all clear to the public under the barrage of misinformation.

Here are statistics for washingtonvoter.org. I monitored the site from 3 p.m. until midnight on Election Day. I was contacted by some visitors. In every case, they wanted to know where to go to vote. I should put up links to the auditorÕs polling place lists for next year.

The three main referrers were King 5, search engines (mostly yahoo, AOL and google) and from the referral links on my domain, vote-2000.net. I set up Vote 2000 with voting information early in the election season and then, when I got busier with Washington Voter, I turned it into a multi-page referral site for Washington Voter. It was the most common referrer but also the least targeted (garnered visitors from all over the country, judging from their host names). Other referrers were snovote, various auditor sites, political sites and some candidate sites.

Weencie joined LWV of Kitsap 37 years ago, just before Kitsap was approved by the national board as a "recognized" local League. She served in many capacities in League and devoted her time to her own community of Hansville. The Education Fund of the LWV of Kitsap would be an appropriate cause for memorials in her honor since League was always dear to WeencieÕs heart.

Mark your calendar and join us at the Capitol Tuesday, February 27, 2001Citizens Lobby Day in Olympia. This upcoming legislative session we need your help! We face a strained budget, a 49(D)-49(R) tie in the House, and the need to free many environmental issues from gridlock. Key issues debated this session will be transportation, energy, water, shorelines, and the budget that funds all natural resource programs.

Join People for Puget Sound and dozens of other citizen groups on February 27th as we fill the capitol campus with citizen lobbyists! From 9:30 --11:30 am we will meet at the United Churches of Olympia, 110 E. 11th for: remarks from key legislators, legislation update from lobbyists, and a lobbying skills workshop.

After the workshop, citizen lobbyists -- you! -- will meet with your own legislators. We can help you find out if others from your legislative district have set up an appointment you can join. Please bring your own lunch and a mug--snacks and beverages provided in the morning.

Each Lobby Day participant will receive a briefing book complete with legislation briefing sheets, legislator information, and lobbyist contacts. For this and morning snacks, there is a $5 requested donation. Carpools from all parts of the state are being coordinated by People for Puget Sound--let us know if you are interested.

All organizations interested in recruiting members to come to lobby day are invited to add their name to the list of co-sponsors!

Please post this information and give copies to friends!

QUESTIONS? Please call Pam Johnson, People For Puget Sound at (206) 382-7007 or e-mail pjohnson@pugetsound.org

REGISTRATION FORM
Name: Address:
Phone: Fax: email:
Legislative district: Interest in carpooling?
Add my organization as a co-sponsor:

Total number of registered voters

~3,300,000 ¹

Total population of Washington (April 1, 2000)

5,894,121 ²

Total estimate population ages 0-17

1,534,662 ²

Total incarcerated population (1998)

~15,000 ²

Total estimated legal resident aliens (1998)

244,271 ³

Total estimated voting age population

4,100,188

Registration percentages

• Percentage of total population

56%

• Percentage of voting age population

80%

Turnout percentages

• Percentage of total population

42.7%

• Percentage of voting age population

61.3%

• Percentage of registered voters

CLEANING METHODS

Effective vacuuming of carpets
The carpet is usually the largest dust reservoir in the house. Normal vacuuming of a carpet does not remove all the deep dust. Five to 25 times as much deep dust may remain in older carpets as are removed by regular vacuuming. Nearly all old carpets have an accumulation of deep dust that increases the amount of dust, lead, pesticides, dust mites, and mold on the surface of the carpet and in the air. If you have carpets in your home, you need to keep them clean with an effective vacuum with a power head. These vacuums are three to six times as effective as vacuums without power brushes. The bag, belt, and brush need to be checked and replaced regularly. Taking your vacuum to a repairman for a tune up every two years may be very cost-effective. New vacuums can be purchased for as little as $70.

An initial thorough vacuuming can remove the majority of the deep dust from a carpet. To remove the deep dust, each week make 25 passes over the door mat and the area of the rug within four feet the main entrance doors, 16 passes over areas that receive a lot of foot traffic, and eight passes over the rest of the carpet. After you have vacuumed in this careful (and time-consuming!) way for a few weeks, you will have removed a good portion of the deep dust in your carpets. From that time, careful weekly vacuuming using one half the passes mentioned above in combination with the other methods listed below should keep carpet dust levels low.

Dirt finder vacuums

You can speed up the initial removal of deep dust with a dirt finder vacuum. You can get nearly all the deep dust out within ONE WEEK. A vacuum with a dirt finder has a red light that tells you where the dirt is. When the carpet is clean, the light turns green. It tells you when you need to do more vacuuming and when to stop. It can save you time. It is the best practical insurance available to a parent that an older carpet is safe for a baby to crawl on. They cost $150 to $330. Manufacturers include Hoover, Sears, and Panasonic. Check Consumer Reports to find the best buy. If a dirt finder vacuum is not in your budget, you may know someone who owns one. A borrowed vacuum could be used to monitor once every six months to verify the effectiveness of cleaning with the present home vacuum. We suggest you clean a small area completely before moving on. The first cleaning may take several hours but you do not need to do it all in one day. The green light will come on quickly after all the deep dust is out.

Put a high quality door mat at each of the entrances to your home and wipe your feet twice before entering. Most door mats sold in retail stores are not very effective at stopping track-in. However, good mats that are deeper, hold more dirt, and are found in front of department stores are available. LoweÕs Hardware will special order a Twister 2' by 3' mat from Pacific Mats for around $28 to $30. Consolidated Plastics will send a catalog on commercial matting if you call them at 1-800-362-1000. Their best 2 ft by 3 ft Lobby Scrape and Dry Mat sells for $34.50 as of June 2000.

Effective vacuuming and use of door mats can bring up to 99% reduction in the pollutants on the surface of the carpet in one month. Removal of shoes before entering your home is also an effective way to stop track-in

Dusting and Carpet Removal

Regularly remove the dust from furniture, window sills, and other surfaces in the home. Use a clean lint-free rag and keep changing it as it gets dirty. Pay special attention to surfaces at your children's level. Bare floors and flat carpets are easier to clean than high-pile rugs. Bare floors are healthier for children with asthma and other respiratory distress. If you remove your carpet yourself, you will want to keep children out of the area and protect yourself by wearing a two-strap dust mask. If you replace your old carpet with a new one, you may want to look into purchasing a carpet that has a green label and is designed to emit less harmful gasses into your home.

Dealing with mold

A carpet laid on concrete that touches the earth, or that has been soaked by spills, floods, or plumbing leaks poses a high risk for developing mold and an excess of dust mites and bacteria. These conditions can trigger allergies, asthma, and other diseases. Dry wet carpets and pad underneath with a fan and/or heater within 24 hours to reduce this risk. If mold has started in a carpet, it is advisable to remove it, as it is extremely difficult to eliminate mold from a carpet. Apartment dwellers often do not have the option of removing a moldy carpet. If you cannot remove the carpet or move to a different apartment, keep your carpet clean and home well-ventilated by running the bathroom fan continuously and opening windows one eight inch or as wide as you can during the warmer weather. Try to have children sleep in areas that are not moldy.

Removal of deep dust has many advantages. There may be a large improvement in indoor air quality when dust is removed from carpets and furniture. Lower levels of particles, cat and dust mite allergen, mold, and bacteria are stirred up by activity in the room. There is less risk of the occupants developing sick building symptoms such as fatigue, watery eyes and nose, coughing, sneezing, rashes, irritability, and headaches. The carpet will last longer, look better, and is often softer to walk on. Last but not least there is an important reduction in exposure to lead in houses built before 1960. Old houses with remodeling, paint removal, and peeling paint can have up to 10,000 parts per million of lead in house dust and present a high lead risk to a young child. Even small amounts of lead can reduce the intelligence of a child.

We encourage everyone with a small child, allergies, asthma, immune deficiencies, or who wants a healthier home to ask for a free home environmental assessment by a Master Home Environmentalist (MHE) by calling the American Lung Association of Washington at 206-441-5100 (www.alaw.org) in Seattle, Clean air for kids in Tacoma at 253-798-2954, and 509-248-4384 in Yakima, WA. They can survey risks from moisture, mold, indoor air, lack of ventilation, and biological pollutants as well as lead and dust. Increasing the amount of fresh air coming into a home may increase your energy level. The MHE can help you reduce the your total exposure to all pollutants in the home. They can also point you toward a professional resource if they find high risks or remedies that may have higher costs. If you have a serious environmental health problem such as severe health complaints, more than one square foot of mold, or sewage back up call your doctor, health department, or the King County Hazard Line at 206-296-4692 or 1-800-633-7585. For more information on lead control in old homes see www.watoxics.org/thbl.htm and protecting infants from other home toxics see www.lwvwa.org/advocacy/home-environment.


References are found in the dust chapter of 1999 Master Home Environmentalist Training Manual.

The public interest of our stateÕs water policy is that:

• Instream flows must be maintained at levels adequate to sustain fish stocks;
• The interaction of ground and surface water must be considered;
• Aquifers must be protected from the effects of groundwater mining;
• Water conservation efficiencies must be assured, and
• Plans for growth must be carefully considered.

John Kirner did not disagree. The Utilities position is that these natural resources issues are important, but that projects (such as the "Intertie") must be moved forward now and cannot wait until the regional strategy is in place to answer all the resource issues.

It is difficult to convince those entities or those in the alliance who do not need water to pay for conservation and be involved in regional conservation planning.

Both John and Rob agreed that there is a disconnect between water code and GMA. There needs to be a concurrency requirement for water, perhaps a water availability certificate that Department of Ecology must sign off on (an outside entity). This may become an issue in the State Legislature this year.